Beat The Rat Race: Work from Home as a Virtual Call Center Agent
This post is first in a series discussing the many ways in which you can work from home while spending more time with children and family while pursuing other interests. Please submit your stories if you are currently working from home or have a telecommuting arrangement with your place of employment.
This article from Squidoo, Work From Home As A Virtual Call Center Agent is full of great information, specifically about the companies that are currently hiring work at home agents. Opting out of the rat race is an eventual goal as I’d like to be ale to pursue different interests as long as I have an internet connection.
The article lists the following companies hiring work at home agents:
- Freedom Telework
- Freedom Telework has a reverse bidding structure - you should have a business license and your own equipment. You tell their clients how much you’ll charge by the minute or hour.
- Alpine Access
- Alpine Access hires virtual call center agents as W-2 employees. Competition for jobs is stiff, however, they are one of the most respected in the industry.
- LiveOps
- Liveops is another BPO firm - you’ll be an independent contractor.
- Superior Telemarketing
- Superior Telemarketing pays an hourly wage for their W-2 employees to work from home.
- 1-800-FLOWERS
- 1-800-FLOWERS hires in specific regions. Their work-from-home agents are W-2 employees.
- West at Home
- West at Home hires home-based independent contractors, and they tend to hire on a regular basis. Again, because of their popularity, there’s some real competition to get a job with them.
- American Airlines
- American Airlines hires home-based reservation agents across the U.S. who have a call center close to home.
- Accolade Support
- Accolade Support also hires home-based agents to work on a variety of client projects.
- Extended Presence
- Extended Presence hires outbound callers to work on their B2B campaigns.
- Working Solutions
- Working Solutions hires agents throughout the US and Canada. Call center projects can include order processing, reservations, enrollments, customer service, sales, market research, technical support, etc.
Things to Consider:
Fees. Some companies charge start up fees, training fees and/or equipment fees which you are responsible for since you will be working as an independent contractor in most cases. I will cover the pros and cons of this in an upcoming post. Make sure that your cost-benefit analysis puts you ahead in a fairly short amount of time. For example, I wouldn’t pay a $550 set up/equipment/training fee for a job that pays $8/hr.
Time Management. While working as an at home agent last summer, I found it became difficult to remain productive since I wasn’t commuting and my work didn’t have set deadlines attached. I had extra time on my hands and I tend to work best when I am under pressure to meet a deadline. Be mindful of any decreases in productivity as you transition into telecommuting.
Company Culture and Expectations. Pay attention to company culture and adapt, quickly. You’ll save yourself time and unnecessary frustration if you’re able to figure out whether or not you’ll fit in. While you won’t have a supervisor in your face, you will be interacting with other work from home employees typically within a forum or chat room, this is not the time to talk with co-workers about topics other than work-related issues, keep it clean and professional. This is also not the place to lodge complaints about the company, do so with your supervisor or get advice from other coworkers.
Backup Plan. Working from home is a blessing in so many ways, but it can be a nightmare if there are cutbacks due to budgetary issues or if you aren’t making the arbitrary “cut”. This happens frequently in the work from home agent field so be prepared to pursue other opportunities should this one fall through. An emergency fund is key once you make the decision to opt out of the rat race. Check out the MBN Group Writing Project, this month’s topic just happens to be Emergency Funds.
Reputation. Check out the company’s reputation because scams abound in this field and Ive known a few people to give up a good paying day job for a telecommuting job that seemed too good to be true. Check them out via telecommuting forums and by searching online for general information and employee experiences.
Resources:
- Rat Race Rebellion
- Work Place Like Home
- Craigslist (Craigshelper lets you search multiple states at the same time)
Future posts in this series will address The Pros and Cons of Working From Home An Independent Contractor, Mystery Shopping, Securing a Telecommuting Schedule with Your Boss, Freelancing and Starting a Business. If you are or have worked from home then feel free to share your experiences in comments area.
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Pingback by Work From Home on 14 April 2008:
[…] Vincent Waller wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThis post is first in a series discussing the many ways in which you can work from home while spending more time with children and family while pursuing other interests. Please submit your stories if you are currently working from home … […]
Comment by Stacey on 14 April 2008:
This is good information as we get ready to transition once the baby gets here.
Comment by TomTom on 14 April 2008:
I wonder why they have an arbitrary cut? Dont they want people to succeed in these positions?
Comment by No Debt Plan (2 comments.) on 14 April 2008:
Unfortunately you can’t do this with a cell phone, must be a land line. I can imagine sitting on the beach taking calls would be awesome.
No Debt Plan’s last blog post..Weekend Roundup for April 14, 2008
Comment by Steve (1 comments.) on 14 April 2008:
I liked the info on this blog. I wrote an article on what questions to ask when looking for a home based business. I think your readers would like this info in addition to yours. Thanks.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Home-Based-Business—Which-One-is-Best?&id=1076624
Pingback by Real Work at Home Jobs » Blog Archive » Beat The Rat Race: Work from Home as a Virtual Call Center Agent on 15 April 2008:
[…] gopublish wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptTheir work-from-home agents are W-2 employees. West at Home: West at Home hires home-based independent contractors, and they tend to hire on a regular basis. Again, because of their popularity, there’s some real competition to get a job … […]
Comment by Trent Hamm (7 comments.) on 15 April 2008:
Along these lines, I’m thinking of hiring a virtual assistant to help me deal with a lot of the routine email I get.
Trent Hamm’s last blog post..Eight Personal Finance Regrets From the Past Year
Comment by Young Investor (5 comments.) on 17 April 2008:
You know internet marketing is something that has taken up in the past couple of years. N along with that comes working from home.
I think as a natural trend people want more fulfillment out of their work and what not. They want to be working for themselves rather than working for someone else.
That why work places really are becoming more flexible in the things that they provide, because these days it what people expect and want.
Go against the rat race?? Love it love it love it.
Creating your future as you want it to be. Yeh I’m all for that too!
Young Investor
http://www.investmentrealty.blogspot.com
Young Investor’s last blog post..Has School Really Taught You What You Need To KNOW?
Comment by BP (3 comments.) on 18 April 2008:
We work at home and have done so for 4 years. It can be lonely if you do not have regualar contacts with co-workers and supervisors. Forums are critical to keeping informed. Not getting feedback from a supervisor can in some cases lead to a sudden crisis. Make a point of touching base with your supervisor on a regular basis.
Discipline is required. You need to work a set amount of hours and then spend time with your family. In the past I have ended up working 60 plus hours a week. More time on the cpu and phone does not mean you get more done.
Comment by Tammara (1 comments.) on 18 April 2008:
With the high price of gasoline working from home always sounds like a great solution at first. Unfortunately though for those of us who live in an area that has a high cost of living, many of the work at home positions don’t pay enough to justify working from home.
At only $8.00 an hour for where I live it’s better to work outside the home to get a much higher rate of pay or salary. Wish I could find the right work at home position that provides the best of both worlds - higher rate of pay and working in my pajamas when I want to - lol.
Tammara’s last blog post..Tight Wad Penny Pincher Test
Pingback by Missing Money, Multi-level Marketing and More @ The Roundup on 20 April 2008:
[…] Beat The Rat Race: Work From Home As A Virtual Call Center Agent @ Girls Just Wanna Have Funds […]
Pingback by 149th Carnival of Personal Finance - Chasing Dreams Edition | The Happy Rock on 21 April 2008:
[…] Just Wanna Have Funds presents Beat The Rat Race: Work from Home as a Virtual Call Center Agent - Ginger writes that opting out of the rat race is an eventual goal as I’d like to be ale to […]
Comment by Greener Pastures (1 comments.) on 24 April 2008:
Great ideas. I’ve been looking for things to do when I retire, and this is one of them. I work at home half time with my regular job now. It’d be pretty isolating to do it all the time, but part time, I think, after retirement,would be great. No commuting costs!
Lisa
Greener Pastures’s last blog post..Remember the Tomatoes? Heirloom Seeds
Pingback by Blog Carnival Round-Up, Week of April 21st, 2008 | Greener Pastures: Personal Finance on 24 April 2008:
[…] The Psychology of Money: “I Had to Have It”-The Impulse Purchase Favorites-Â Beat the Rat Race:Â Work From Home as a Virtual Center Call Agent at Girls Just Want to Have […]
Comment by The Big Spender on 25 April 2008:
A online job is a great way to help getyourself out of debt. working it in addition to your day job increases your income and doesn’t take you away from your family too much (at least your still AT home).
It is what we did to get out of debt faster
Comment by Fartina Segura (1 comments.) on 3 May 2008:
I think it’s important to set goals establishing your work home needs and exacty where your passion is headed. It’s also important to make sure you have then required and necessary skills and equipment before applying with these companies. There are many companies that hire workers from home as independent contractors as well as with the company. The competition is definitely out there. But making sure you hightlight the skills these employers are looking for is key and will always prove to at least get you in the door for an interview.
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